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Preview: Junior All Blacks V Samoa

The Junior All Blacks will begin the tournament as favourites, after winning the competition twice, but there is no doubt that the Cup will be closer than some pundits believe.

After all, the concept of the competition is to ensure that the Pacific Islands and Japan are constantly exposed to top level rugby, and with the Pacific Nations Cup now entering its fourth year, it will be interesting to see how much more competitive the second tier of rugby nations are becoming.

Fiji (ranked ninth), Samoa (ranked eleventh), Tonga (fourteenth) and Japan (sixteenth) will all field full strength teams, with most of the worlds domestic competitions now over and players available to the respective teams.

One only has to look at last year’s results of these teams against both the NZ Maori (who the Junior All Blacks replaced for this 2009’s tournament) and Australia A to know that the proverbial gap is closing.

Both Samoa and Tonga only lost to the NZ Maori by 11 points, and Fiji nearly pulled off the upset, going down to the same team by 7-11. Samoa only lost to Australia A by 5 points, and Japan managed to put 21 points on the “Junior Wallabies” in a losing effort.

But, while speculation has continued all week about the All Blacks unveiling what has been regarded as a first team hamstrung by injury, there is little doubt that the Junior All Blacks – or New Zealand A – is a team that would compete well against any other side in world rugby.

There are former All Blacks throughout the side, with 2008 test players Anthony Tuitavake, Hosea Gear, Jason Eaton and Hikawera Elliot in the team.

Equally, there are standout performers from this year’s Rebel Sport Super 14, including up and coming prodigy Israel Dagg and Blues winger Rene Ranger.

With the national team suffering such a horror injury toll, the function of the Junior All Blacks in the New Zealand rugby landscape becomes even more prominent. Not only does it provide the second tier of player’s international rugby exposure, but allows for members of the team to be promoted into the All Blacks side in case of injuries or withdrawals.

The Pacific Nations Cup kicks off this weekend with the Junior All Blacks playing Samoa in Apia, with Tonga playing Fiji in Nuku’alofa.

Samoa will look to continue their solid form from last year, where they came third in the competition, behind the NZ Maori and Australia A.

They will want to continue that form, after being left behind by Fiji on the world stage two years ago at the World Cup, where Manu Samoa could only manage the one victory in the pool stages.

Still, they will be glad to catch the strongest team in the competition in the first round, as traditionally the New Zealand teams have been slow starters in the Pacific Nations Cup.

The teams have clashed twice in the last three years.

In 2006, the Samoans lost to the Junior All Blacks 56-14 in North Harbour. However, that year the Samoans finished runners up, inflicted a 53-9 pummelling to Japan, and a 36-0 victory over traditional rivals Tonga.

In 2007 Samoa played the Junior All Blacks in the first round, in front of an impressive 15,000 at Apia. The New Zealanders won 31-10, with current All Black John Afoa scoring a try, and starting first five eighth against France Stephen Donald playing at number ten.

Samoa will be captained by George Stowers, who plays for London Irish alongside Seilala Mapusua, the former Highlander who recently played for the Barbarians and will line up in the side.

Gavin Williams vice captains the side, son of former All Black Bryan Williams.

It will be a potent attacking Manu Samoa, with Henry Fa’afili, a former New Zealand Warrior league player, and Alesana Tuilagi, the Leicester Tigers attacking spearhead, in the backline.